Stories from Wednesday, January 5, 2011

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival kicks off the New Year with Community Storytelling about fond and not-so-fond stories about childhood experiences at its "First Tuesday" storytelling gathering at the Bieroc Café at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Everyone is invited...

Sept. 13, 1931--Jan. 4, 2011 INDIANOLA, Nebraska -- Marianne Cole, 79, passed away on Tuesday (Jan. 4, 2011), at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, Nebraska. Marianne was born on Sept. 13, 1931, in Culbertson, Nebraska to Henry C. and Helen E. (Hill) Sitzman. She graduated from Culbertson High School in 1948. She continued her education at McCook Junior College...

May 13, 1944--Jan. 3, 2011 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Eugene Teddy Phillips, 66, passed away Monday (Jan. 3, 2011), at his home in McCook after a long battle with a brain stem aneurysm. Gene was born on May 13, 1944, in Ogden, Utah to Ellsworth and Sadie Mae (Place) Philips. He graduated from Carlin High School in Carlin, Nevada in 1962...

Feb. 1, 1917--Jan. 3, 2011 TRENTON, Nebraska -- Thelma Elaine Fleming, 93, died Monday (Jan. 3, 2011), at the El Dorado Manor Home in Trenton. She was born Feb. 1, 1917, in Frontier County, Nebraska, the daughter of the late Clifford R. and Maude (Meyers) Phelps. Thelma grew up in Hitchcock County, south of Culbertson, Nebraska, where she received her education...

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Bill Harris, the second son of an influential and well-known McCook, Nebraska, family and a former Nebraska state senator and Lincoln, Nebraska, mayor, died Tuesday morning in Lincoln. Harris was 71 years old. Services are pending with Roper and Sons Mortuary, Lincoln. Harris is survived by his wife, Mary Sue; his mother, Eleanor Harris of Opelika, Alabama; two children and three grandchildren; and four brothers., J.T. Jr., Bob, Bert and Jim...

Two more contended for New Year's Baby title IMPERIAL, Nebraska -- Learning the rules late means, unfortunately, that a baby boy born in Imperial, Nebraska, on New Year's Day, Jan. 1, isn't the Gazette area's "New Year's Baby" for 2011. The Gazette will bestow Timothy Tatum May with an "honorary" first baby title. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- It was 77 years ago when R.O. Canaday of Hastings told a group of regional leaders gathered at the Hotel Dale in Holdrege: "Nebraska is the finest state in the Union. This is the finest region in the state and here are the finest people on earth. But the region has not been given the consideration in many matters it should have. Our organization can make possible a more efficient representation of the region's needs to the legislative bodies and public officials."...

We tend to look to programs and systems -- not to mention the money it takes to support them -- when we think of community progress. But no organizational procedure can succeed without the vision and personal leadership it takes to make it work. Bill Harris, who died unexpectedly in his sleep Tuesday morning, was a prime example of that leadership...

We hadn't lived in our "new to us" house very long when we discovered that the neighbors had a rottweiler. The only thing we knew about the breed was that they were very territorial and could be vicious if anyone crossed into their world. So we warned our children, then 8, 9 and 13, to stay on our side of the fence...